


Double Life

by Oh_the_indignityY



Category: Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:53:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26411440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oh_the_indignityY/pseuds/Oh_the_indignityY
Summary: Sodor's engines suddenly turn into humans, some wanted it, some didn't. And they find that they will be able to lead parallel lives as humans, so they start throwing their feelings out without fear of losing their jobs.
Relationships: Edward/James (Thomas the Tank Engine), Flying Scotsman & Spencer (Thomas the Tank Engine), Gordon/Henry (Thomas the Tank Engine), Henrietta/Toby (Thomas the Tank Engine), Porter/Timothy (Thomas the Tank Engine), Rosie (Thomas the Tank Engine)/Thomas the Tank Engine
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	Double Life

Change .. We don't like it. It scares us. But we can't stop it coming .. Either we adapt to change, or we fall behind. Growing up is painful, anyone who tells you otherwise is lying. But the truth is that, sometimes, the more things change, the more they stay the same .. And sometimes .. Ah sometimes change is nice .. Sometimes .. The change is .. All..

Often things change in a strange way. Like when the storm comes on a sunny day. Or like when an important event upsets your monotony. Well, for Henry and Gordon (and not just them) it was just the beginning of a long story. If there was one thing that all of Sodor's engines loved it was spring; A breeze of new hopes, emotions and fantasies. Furthermore, they could finally enjoy green lawns, more passengers and a warm sun on their faces. One day Percy was pulling a freight train towards Maithwail when it stopped at a signal. He looked down on a beautiful green lawn from which screams and laughter could be heard; Children played peacefully with each other, slapping each other on the shoulder as they approached and immediately ran away. he loved those little miniature men. They were always full of energy and always wanted to play. They also had the clarity and ignorance towards life that only a child can have.   
"who knows what it's like to have a body to use always and only as you want, without the need to always depend on someone." he thought to himself. Finally he complained to his machinists. «I would love to be a human to run and have fun like them! Why are you and us not? ". He talked to him as if they could do something about it. He didn't care in the least that they might find boredom and madness in his words. Gordon was coming from the main line and stopped beside him, his signal was red. - Good morning Percy! Why do you have that face? Have you seen any monsters? -   
He teased him, but strangely, for the first time the little green engine did not respond to the provocation.

-Gordon .. - he asked. - Have you ever wanted to be a human sometime?-   
\- why never?!-  
\- Seriously, has it ever occurred to you that you want to become human sometime? I want to be. In short, look at those children. That's life. - he retorted - What are you babbling about, Percy? Why on earth should you become an insignificant little human when you are a strong and useful locomotive at something? I mean, you'll never be as big and strong and handsome as me modestly, but what I want to tell you is that your talk is nonsense. Only a locomotive with some gear problems would say these things. - He concluded, whistling and leaving, with his usual superior air. Percy stood there, despite his signal having gone off three times, thinking about the beauty of the human being.

That same afternoon Henry brought the pastor a new bee house, paused to look at a patch of land with poles and vegetables on it. - Excuse me reverend .. But what is it? -   
\- It's a garden, Henry. From what I know you like nature so much, you should know, - he said quietly. - And .. And can I do it too? -   
-If a merciful god will give you the joy of becoming human, perhaps he will. -   
Becoming human. From that moment Henry only had eyes for humans and everything they did, he really wanted to become one of them to experience everything they did .. Maybe with Gordon. She had been having some weird fantasy about him for some time that she had never tried and didn't believe he could feel. It was something inexplicable that he had not yet shared with anyone and that he kept to himself. He thought it was the fruit of his own imagination. At Knapford he met Gordon. He had just returned with the express when Henry stepped in front of him. - .. Hi Gordon! -   
He smiled gently. The latter met his gaze; never did. He jumped back. Henry was really nice, he had a sweet smile and a generous and sincere soul. It was ... Half of his dreams. - Oh .. hello Henry .. Why .. Why did you stand right in front of me? ..- He had started stammering random things, turning red in the face, despite half of his brain telling him to stop and be mature. - Sure you're okay? You're all red .. -   
-Yes yes, I'm fine .. Go ahead, don't talk to me without a reason, I know you well ..-.   
-Okay ..- Henry took those few inches away from them, making their front bumpers just touch.- I want to become human! - He exclaimed with delight. Gordon was surprised by this - U-human? .. But Henry, what are you saying?- - Yup! Human! That would be really cool! I could cultivate my own garden and .. Have a home and .. Do all those things that men do !. Wouldn't you like it, Gordon? You could do anything you want! You would be in charge of your life, perhaps becoming someone important with the woman you love. Well ... wouldn't that be great? - Gordon didn't understand all this sudden fanaticism about humans. But Henry was right: he would be in charge of his life with the person he loved. And now that he was in front of him, he imagined a life with him, without worries or worries about work .. Just the two of them. Nobody else.  
He had to surrender. He had to surrender to the fact that he loved that prototype Pacific, kind, generous, shy… Henry had pulled him at his feet like a sack of potatoes, and who was wrong? - Oh well .. Actually .. - but the green engine didn't give him time to finish speaking, because he let out a quiet whistle. - Sorry, I have to go now. I have a freight train bound for Vicarstown! See you tonight in storage, Gordon.- he walked away with that sweet smile on his face, leaving Gordon there, with the butterflies in the boiler. From that moment he began to dream that the life he had just imagined could become reality. He really hoped they could become human to experience those sensations, to savor everything.

Perhaps, he thought about it so much all day that he found himself standing in Vicarstown, when his shift was over, right in the middle of the rails. - What's the matter with me? I feel so small .. And .. and useless. - His machinists, Ted and Aaron, gasped. They were no longer in Gordon's cabin, and Gordon was no longer… Gordon. - Ted ..- whispered the stoker. - Do you see what I see too? - . - Yes .. Tell me we did something without realizing it, Aaron ..-

History repeated itself all over the island, and even Henry, who was the first to return to the warehouse, was out of breath for a few moments. - I have hands .. Legs .. I am .. Human ..- . Then the Reverend's words came back to him; "If a merciful God will give you the joy of becoming human, maybe yes .." - It was the merciful God! Machinist! Fireman! A merciful God gave me the joy of becoming human! Watch! Whatch Me!! - His machinists stared at him in disbelief - And .. Did the merciful god also make you crack in the transformation? ..- - What is crack? - - Oh, nothing important .. Anyway .. Let's go talk to the fat controller. He will certainly be delighted to hear this news. - He answered sarcastically. On the contrary, Sir Thopam hatt was tremendously worried: he received calls from all over the island always exclaiming the same thing “The locomotives are human !!”. He summoned only Thomas, Percy, Gordon, Henry, James, Edward, Emily, Toby and Henrietta to the Tidmouth depot. All in their own .. New forms. - Well, given your new .. Shapes. You will all come home with me until we solve the problem.-   
-To House Hatt? - Percy asked, looking about 13 years old. - Yes, at House Hatt. You will each have a room and you will be forbidden to leave the house without my consent. Having said that I hope you will find it well. - 

Taking them all home had been exhausting. Very tiring. Emily was lost in looking at the shops and the posters curiously while Henry was afraid to get on Bertie.   
\- Wow! - Edward exclaimed. - I had never seen a house so close in my life ..-  
«And .. And is it safe?- Toby asked Sir Thopam hatt. -Of course it's safe! What questions .. If it weren't, I wouldn't sleep here probably. - Then he opened the front door. - Come on, come in. And on entering, take off your shoes. - Henry took off his shoes, remaining with white socks. he turned quickly, not realizing that Gordon was two inches from him. Their noses flapped quickly against each other before Henry pulled back. - Oh sorry. -   
«Yes, yes .. Me too. " In truth, the quick but clear contact had been quite satisfying on both sides. - Well, are you up? I have to take off my shoes too, - James said angrily. The usual ruins everything. In all this they had not yet had the time to look good with each other. They were too busy looking around, discovering the beauties they hadn't been able to touch or get close to for years. In fact, Lady Hatt appeared at that moment from behind the door. - Good evening! Look who we have here. Who would have thought you would become human? - Lady Hatt looked much older and shorter than they could see from above. She still had her brown hair but the lines on her face were well defined. - You will be hungry! Come to eat! There's a delicious dinner tonight! - The engines followed the couple into the dining room. It was a huge table with several plates, placemats, and clear crystal glasses. Lean on a white silk tablecloth. - It looks like the stationmaster's house. I still remember the time I went to have breakfast with him. - Thomas remarked ironically. He was returned by a stern look from the fat conductor.  
\- But you don't remember how much we spent to repair his house. It was more than four pennies. This is little but sure.- He muttered. - Okay, each one of us sit in a chair, so I can count how many we are. - Henry sat timidly at the banished table of best napkins, and Gordon sat down beside him. Edward and James took the next two seats while Toby and Henrietta sat across from Henry and Gordon, and Thomas and Percy after them. James raised a spoon, totally unaware of what it was for. - Do you eat with these shovels? -   
-That's not a shovel, James!- Henrietta corrected him.  
\- It's a spoon and it's for soup!- When instead they found themselves in front of the bigoli, no one had explained to them how to behave at the table. Percy grabbed one with two fingers, and was promptly scolded by the Fat Controller. - Percy! Don't put your hands on your plate! Look everyone, you use the fork like this.- He put his fork in the bigoli and finally rolled it a couple of times, until he made a kind of wad. The engines copied it with difficulty, especially for those who were left-handed like Edward. - in conclusion! I surrender! - He snorted, blowing his fork over the plate. James spoke softly to him, as if he were… His little treasure. - Don't worry, it's like this ..- he rolled some spaghetti on his plate, taking Eddy's fork, then he fed it just like a child. For a moment James felt his heart beating fast, he had been so persistent in teasing him to hide his feelings towards him, that he didn't even remember how much he really loved him. But what did it matter now? When Edward gently took his fork back, he watched him; it was just beautiful. He had beautiful dark, tanned skin, her hair was hazel and had a gray mesh that showed aging. His undeniable refinement and generosity had led James to believe that there might be something more for the two of them, maybe someday. After the first one there was the second, chicken and salad. Finally the side dish. And then also the dessert. When a milkshake each arrived, Toby complained. - How much do you humans eat ?! -  
\- We are just twenty years after the war, having all this food is a blessing for us. During the war, no one had enough food, the country was bankrupt. - The engines hadn't understood much of that speech, but there were those of them who had lived through the war, others had been built after. Edward, Gordon and Henry for example remembered it well; That horrible cold without water and without coal, the bombs that shook the depot and all their friends who had been sent to the front to be military locomotives and who, for some reason, never came back.

Toby stretched slightly, and accidentally dropped his milkshake to the floor.   
«Toby! You are a clumsy! .. » Henrietta went on. In all this the steam locomotive had managed to save the straw. - I .. I'm sorry sir ..- he muttered. - Don't worry, it can happen. Now let's clean up, - Lady Hatt said lovingly. Henry advanced his milkshake to Toby. - Here you go. I'm full .. - - Are you sure, Henry? ..- - of course! What are you waiting for? Take it.. - Henry pulled his straw out of the milkshake, and Toby put his own in it. Another cup of milkshake touched his arm. - Do you want .. Do you want some? It's too much for me..-Gordon tried to maintain self-control as he asked him this. Henry blushed, he certainly couldn't refuse. -Thanks .. Okay- He put his straw in it, and slowly drank from it. The two locomotives remained to study each other; In his human form Henry was even more handsome than he already was. he had two sad eyes and a reserve that hid a great person. She also had nut-colored hair that had a shape of its own. They couldn't stop looking at each other, Henry found Gordon terribly charming, he had pink skin and raven hair. When this cracked a smile, they both came out of the loop. Nobody seemed to have noticed anything, Percy chatted and asked questions casually while Toby toyed with the straw. - This smoothie tastes great! Can we eat it tomorrow too ?! Oh and even after tomorrow! Can we always eat it ?! -   
Thirteen-year-old Percy had the rosy complexion of a healthy child, with red cheeks and ocher-blond hair. It was just beautiful, and the opposite would have meant lying. - Oh but too many sweets are bad, Percy. Then you are still small compared to the others .. -   
Lady Hatt said.   
-it's not true! I'm not small! I'm almost twenty! -  
-Yes, but… In your human form you'll have twelve, Percy. You're small, and Thomas isn't that big either.- Edward observed. - Oh yes? And then you are even smaller than me.- He muttered. - This is statistically impossible- James interjected - Edward is older than all of us. Human will be about fifty years old. Hopefully I'll have 30.- - Already. And comparing myself with my passengers, I will be more or less 38 years old.- -Enough, come on. Tomorrow we will call the doctor and he will make the necessary visits to find out if you are well and how old you are.- Proclaimed Sir Thopam - in the meantime you will go to your room to sleep. It has been a long day. But tomorrow you will have to wake up early, you will have to start working as early as tomorrow at dawn. -   
-Sorry sir,- Thomas interjected - But how do we work in the absence of engines?-  
-London Railways will lend us Engines ... Er ... Experimental. - By experimental, he meant "lifeless locomotives." But he didn't want to traumatize them further.

Edward was about to turn off the light when someone knocked on his door. «Back .. Eh .. Forward!- James leaned in, with a blanket over his shoulders. - James! .. What .. What are you doing here?- - Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you, Eddy.- He said, closing the door behind him. - But I've never slept alone .. And .. I sink into that bed. It's too soft for me .. Can I be with you? - At this question, Edward blushed, but he absolutely refused to say no. he moved a little more in part - yes, of course you come ..-. James took a seat next to Him, they were a little tight, but he was so happy to be with him .. For James it was absolutely fantastic, and Edward thought the same. - Goodnight then, James-  
\- Goodnight, Eddy ..-   
Edward blushed at this nickname, no one knew but, it was James who started calling him that, and the infamous "Eddy" quickly spread throughout the island.

Someone else was not at all comfortable in the new room either: Henry hated the dark, he hated thunderstorms, chickens and loneliness. When a gust of wind crashed into his window, Henry jumped to his feet, and decided to go to Gordon's. The latter had just put on his pajamas, also discovering .. Other parts of himself. He also didn't know he was that muscular. Henry, unlike James, did not knock at all and went straight into the room. lucky that Gordon had just finished his "discoveries", he was about to get under the covers when Henry came running in, hugged Gordon tightly in a hug, wrapping his arms behind his back and putting his face in his hollow. Gordon felt himself flare up; no one had ever hugged him like that, it was new to him and Henry had instinctively done it. He didn't know what he was really doing either. And then the fact that Henry was hugging him made him go into time out. - Henry… What's going on?- He asked, trying to stay calm. - That room scares me, please don't send me away, please, keep me here with you ..-The blue engine put a hand on the back of his neck, squeezing him even closer. - It's all right, stay if you want. - Amazing how Gordon had melted. If they had told him years ago, probably no one would have believed it, not even himself. At that point Henry stopped shaking, pulling away from him gently. Yes they lay down under the covers, holding each other, in a grip that they both wished had been perennial. And they fell asleep like that, with their breaths colliding and hands crossing.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi this is just a prologue with a meaningful sentence :) Follow me on @Gordspost on Tumblr😉


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